Polling for election to the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) will begin Sunday and end on Jan. 9.

The new board will be a blend of old and new, with the latter expected to bring in new blood.

Polling at the Rabigh and Qunfudah branches of the chamber will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Jeddah polling will begin from after Asr prayer and last until 10 p.m. at the Jeddah Events and Exhibitions Center for ladies only.

On Monday, the polling at the Al-Laith branch will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for men and women, while from after Asr prayer until 10 p.m. at Jeddah Events and Exhibitions Center for ladies only.

The polling for men will continue on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. at the Jeddah Events and Exhibitions Center.

Electronic voting system will be used for the first time and only registered businessmen and businesswomen with JCCI will be able to vote. Candidates and voters are expected to respect the rules and regulations of the JCCI.

The voters have to bring their Saudi national identity card. They will not be allowed to use mobile phones during voting, they should have valid commercial registration with JCCI, authorized people should come and vote by themselves.

It is the third JCCI election in which women are contesting. A total of 53 candidates, including nine women, are reportedly in the fray.

Maymouna Balfaki, a candidate who is running her campaign on all social media, said it is important that people who vote understand the campaign of each nominee.

JCCI was established almost 67 years ago for the enhancement of business in the Kingdom.

The chamber encourages the participation of Saudi youth and has excellence centers for young entrepreneurs and the business community. The Ministry of Commerce has set the minimum age for candidates at 30 years. Candidates holding a degree in business management or those who have been in the field of business for three years can also participate.